The present invention is related to vehicle suspension systems, and more specifically to the front suspension systems.
Numerous suspension systems exist for supporting the weight of trucks. A number of known designs utilize elastomers to achieve a non-metallic connection between the suspension member, which is typically a leaf spring assembly, and the vehicle frame. Non-metallic connections are useful in damping vibrations transmitted from the road or other surface from reaching the frame of the vehicle, while reducing the amount of noise that would be associated with metal-to-metal connections. Despite these advantages, these designs suffer from a number of disadvantages.
Most designs do not include adequate safety provisions for use of the vehicle in a variety of situations. Those designs that do include safety provisions inhibit the movement of the suspension elements over their useful ranges of motion. Many of these designs also include couplings that are difficult to secure. In order to assemble the elastomer to the suspension member together, many of the designs require complicated mounting procedures involving tools and are difficult to manipulate.